In February and March, İş Sanat offers a wonderfully colourful programme that stretches from the powerful melodies of jazz to the timelessness of baroque music, from home-grown rock rhythms to the imaginative world of children. Welcoming world stars such as Rita Payés, giving her first concert in Istanbul, the extraordinary pianist Lucas Debargue and opera superstar Jakub Józef Orliński, the İş Sanat stage also plays host to Feridun Düzağaç’s much-loved songs, performances by our young talents, the poetry of Tanpınar and a brand-new children’s play.
Tickets for İş Sanat’s season events are available from Biletix and the İş Sanat Main Box Office, with discounts for İş Bankası cardholders. Reservations for the free Parlayan Yıldızlar concerts and the recitals can be made via Biletix.
Payés in Istanbul for the First Time!
Spanish trombonist, singer and songwriter Rita Payés, one of the rising stars of today’s music scene, comes to Istanbul for the first time! With a voice as powerful as it is melancholy and songs inspired by genres such as jazz, bossa nova and lounge, Payés shares the stage of İş Kuleleri Salonu on Wednesday 11 February at 20.30 with her mother, classical guitarist Elisabeth Roma, Pol Batlle, Juan Rodríguez Berbín and Horacio Fumero. Payés will perform songs from her latest album, De Camino al Camino.
A Musical Feast with Kremerata Baltica and Lucas Debargue
The Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra, founded by violin virtuoso Gidon Kremer with the finest musicians of the Baltic states, joins forces with extraordinary French pianist Lucas Debargue to take audiences on a unique musical journey. At the concert at İş Kuleleri Salonu on Thursday 19 February at 20.30, they perform works by Bach, Magin, Mozart, Arvo Pärt and Jančevskis. Debargue, acclaimed for his talent and expressive power, and the Grammy-winning performers will present music in its most refined form.
A Journey to the Italian Baroque with Jakub Józef Orliński and Il Pomo d’Oro
Opera superstar Jakub Józef Orliński and world-renowned period ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro perform their album “Beyond”, winner of a 2024 BBC Music Magazine Award, for İş Sanat audiences. Twice nominated for a Grammy, the artist – who has become a phenomenon by combining his vocal technique with the physical performance skills drawn from his background in dance – will share a repertoire from the baroque era, which he sees as “far ahead of its time”, at İş Kuleleri Salonu on the evening of Friday 13 March.
Love Songs from Feridun Düzağaç
Feridun Düzağaç, one of the leading names in Turkish rock and acoustic music, meets İş Sanat audiences on the evening of Thursday 5 February at 20.30. Having won music lovers over since the 1990s with his distinctive style, pared-back arrangements and guitar melodies, Düzağaç will sing his songs of love and sorrow at İş Kuleleri Salonu.
Applauding Our Young Talents
In the next programme of Parlayan Yıldızlar (Rising Stars), the concert series İş Sanat runs to give musicians at the start of their careers stage experience and to introduce young talents to music lovers, we applaud six young artists. On Monday 2 February at 20.30 Maya Devrim Tanyılmaz (flute) and Batu Özcan (percussion), on Monday 16 February at 20.30 Tolga Bilget (piano) and Cahide Gür (bassoon), and on Monday 9 March at 20.30 Barış Tümkaya (piano) and Öykü Kebir (bassoon) will take the stage.
Tanpınar’s Poetry at İş Sanat
Literature lovers gather for the poetry of Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar on Monday 23 February at 20.30 on the İş Sanat stage. In the recital entitled “Mavi, Maviydi Gök Yüzü” (Blue, Blue Was the Sky), Tanpınar’s poems will be read by Tilbe Saran, Metin Belgin, Bülent Emin Yarar and Hakan Gerçek. With text prepared by Atilla Birkiye and staging by Mehmet Birkiye, the poems will be accompanied by Şemsa İdil Ural (cello), Seda Subaşı (violin) and music director Serdar Yalçın (piano).
A Musical Adventure for Little Art Lovers: “Hişt Hişt!”
With its new children’s play “Hişt Hişt!” (Psst Psst!), full of music and fun, İş Sanat invites young theatregoers on an unforgettable journey. In this delightful play, which takes its name from a story by master writer Sait Faik, Efe, Defne, Nil and Bulut hear a mysterious sound on a camping trip with their teachers Aslı and Mert. Following the trail of the “Hişt Hişt!” sound and listening to the voices of the wind, the birds and nature, our heroes meet Hin and Sin, who are having a picnic in the forest. With every step the curiosity and fun grow! Written by Yekta Kopan and directed by Lerzan Pamir, the musical play will be staged at İş Kuleleri Salonu on Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March at 15.00.
